How to Make a Long Tailed Scarf Top

Kristie Hudson

7 years ago

Today’s post started because I needed to sew something! I’ve been cleaning & organizing my office & work space for almost a week now & haven’t sewn a bit. This may not be a problem for most people, but it’s a crying shame for me! I needed a sewing fix & it needed to be something I could finish quickly. This long-tailed scarf top was the perfect thing to ease my sewing withdrawals & help me refocus!

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Scarves Galore!

I have a large collection of scarves in my closet because I love them! I think it’s because it’s the only “acceptable” way to walk around with fabric wrapped around your body. Really, that’s all it is, pre-hemmed fabric! That’s probably the other reason I love them. ; )

Here in Georgia, we don’t get many days that are suitable for wearing scarves. That means most of the time my scarves are just hanging out in my closet, looking pretty. I decided to make one into something I could wear right now. This one is the perfect size & the colors are awesome too!

Once I decided on the scarf, I “tried it on” to see how I wanted it to hang. This scarf is brighter on one side than the other & I decided I liked option 2!

I also decided I didn’t want to just fold the scarf in half & preferred a hi-low hem. This will put the “low” part of the hem at my knees, which is longer than most hi-low hems. I reasoned I could always take it up if it was too much – the less cuts the better!

Cutting the Neck Hole

Since all the sides are finished, I’m hoping the neck hole will be the only cut I have to make. I started by pinning the sides in place. This will keep the hemlines I want in the correct position. Make sure you are pinning with the right sides together so you can try it on once the neckline is cut.

I grabbed a top that has a neckline I like to use as a template. I’m tracing the back side of the neckline first, so I needed to make sure I’m tracing on the back side of my top.

Align the top corner of the shoulder seams with the folded edge of the scarf. Run along the edge of the neckline with the tailor’s chalk to mark the scarf.

Marking the front neckline is a little trickier. Flip the top over & flip the scarf over. Align the top corners of the shoulder seams with the marks made on the first side. This is easier to do with the edge facing you.

Carefully lift up the back neck edge to reveal the front neckline. Trace along the neckline with the tailor’s chalk again. You can just connect the edges free hand or lay down one side at a time to trace.

Once everything is marked, it’s time to cut, which can be a little scary! Just pinch up a piece in the middle of the circle & make a cut. This makes it a little easier to get to the edge and cut around the neckline.

Now, try it on to see how everything looks. It’s okay to do a little shimmy shake to see how it moves, just watch out for the pins! : )

I need to leave a little side split to make sure it fits over my hips. After marking the end of the split & arm openings, I headed to the sewing machine. Finally, sewing time!

Finishing Up

I’m sewing close to the narrow finished hem on the scarf. This gives me plenty of room for all my squish! I rotated the seam 90 degrees at the stopping points and stitched across the edge. This just helps stabilize the seam since it’s in between two open ends.

All the edges are finished except the neckline & double fold bias tape is an easy way to finish it off. I’m tucking the edge of the neckline into the fold of the bias tape, leaving the short side on the right side of the top. Then I can stitch close to the short edge & be sure to catch the back edge.